Beware the Frozen Heart (Maleficient AU)
by hogwarts-is-frozen
Summary: Deep within the Enchanted Wood, in a beautiful palace made of ice, lived one such fae. At first glance you might mistake her for a human girl, but she possessed a magic that rivaled even the most powerful of beings, she was able to command ice and snow, and her name was Elsa. Maleficent x Frozen with Aurora!Anna, Maleficent!Elsa, Stephan!Hans (cover art by laikaken on tumblr)
1. Part 1

**So this is part 1 of my drabble for day three of AU week. Hopefully I will have the rest of it done by the end of the month, its getting a little longer than I initially intended :P**

Once upon a time, there lived two kingdoms separated by a feud that spanned generations. One was filled with ordinary people not much unlike you or I, ruled by a ruthless and greedy king. The other, the Enchanted Wood, was populated by creatures that differed greatly from their human neighbors, for they possessed something that all beings covet above all else… magic.

All these creatures, which the humans referred to as fae, lived in harmony with one another and they needed neither king or queen to govern them. Deep within the Enchanted Wood, in a beautiful palace made of ice, lived one such fae. At first glance you might mistake her for a human girl but she possessed a magic that rivaled even the most powerful of beings, she was able to command ice and snow, and her name was Elsa.

Despite still being young, only about 12 years of age, Elsa was well known and respected by all who lived in the Wood. She spent her days visiting the other fae and when prompted, building magnificent sculptures of ice, freezing the small ponds that dotted the Wood to skate on, and creating small flurries so that the fae might play in her snow.

Although the magic Elsa commanded could often be thought of as dangerous and unpredictable it also had a great capacity to heal. Elsa could often be found soothing injuries with her cool touch and sealing wounds with ice so as to stave off any corruption that might invade it. And it was during one such instance that Elsa was approached by one of the tree spirits and told that a trespasser had wandered into the Wood. A human boy.

When Elsa first laid eyes on Hans Westerguard she was unsure of what to make of him, for she had never seen a human before. The other fae had warned Elsa that humans were cruel and untrustworthy, but this one didn't seem dangerous. He was tall and lanky, with hair the colour of rust and his voice still cracked with youth. The boy looked to be not much older than Elsa and was dressed like nobility, though he claimed he was no one important. Hans piqued her curiosity with his charming smile and kind words. He told her that he meant no harm, only that he had wanted to see if the stories were true and admitted that one of his brothers had goaded him into stepping across the border.

Elsa had taken it upon herself to escort him out of the Wood and warned him that it would be unwise to return. He simply smiled and asked if she would still be around if he decided to take the risk. Before Elsa could respond he bowed before her and walked back to his horse that he had tethered nearby, waving as he rode back to the human kingdom. Elsa secretly hoped he would come back.

He did.

Over the years the two became the best of friends. Laughing together as the other fae danced around their heads tickling their ears and tugging their hair, walking side by side along the pool of jewels, and playing with Elsa's magic.

Hans loved to watch Elsa as she worked her ice into intricate designs and help those who needed it. The way his eyes lit up with wonder when she used her magic to relieve the pain of a injury he had earned from 'wrestling with one of his brothers' filled Elsa with joy. They spoke of many things; she told him of her life in the Enchanted Wood and how she had lost her parents in a terrible storm that had lasted all day and night. He in return, revealed himself as the thirteenth son of the human king and confessed that he secretly longed to rule. They loved each other as brother and sister… but their friendship was not meant to last.

Eventually Hans' ambition and lust for power drove him away from the Wood and from Elsa. His eldest brother, and heir to the throne, had died suddenly of causes unknown, and although traditionally the throne would pass down to the next born, the king hesitated to name his second born as the new heir. He had not given any thought to groom his other sons as rulers and so found none of them worthy of the responsibility. As such, the king had yet to chose a successor. Which was why Hans now spent his days at his father's side, trying to prove himself as capable leader.

Back in the Enchanted Wood Elsa matured into a beautiful young woman and as she grew, so did her power. Her cleverness and strength helped her to rise quickly through the ranks among the fae and eventually she was named the Protector of the Wood.

The human king eventually grew tired of the peace, tense though it was, between the two rival kingdoms and was consumed with jealousy at the treasures that were fabled to reside in the Enchanted Wood. He called forth his army and commanded that they follow him in his attack on the fae so that they may take those riches for themselves. And so the king, with his vast army and eleven of his sons, each vying to prove their worth, rode to the Wood. Hans, with all his cunning refused to ride alongside his brothers so that he may care for his father's kingdom while the king was away.

It was at the edges of the Wood that Elsa stood to meet them.

One man would tell you that a woman clapped in armor made of ice with eyes that glowed pure white stood upon a hill and froze men where they stood. Another would claim that her eyes did no such thing but instead she had ridden a mount made of ice and with a sword made of the same substance slayed 500 men with one sweep of her arm. Some would spin tales of a being that wasn't a woman at all, but a demon who had attempted to seduce the king with her beauty, only to transform into a hideous creature with horns and claws when he refused her. Each solider had a different take on the battle between human and fae but the truth was much simpler, though no less fantastical.

They say that the fight lasted no more than an hour, but in reality it took only half that time for the men to realize their mistake. For what they had seen as a defenseless woman was instead a furious winter storm made flesh. With a wave of her hand Elsa woke the sky, blinding her enemy with snow and drowning out their leader's commands with a fierce wind. With a word, massive golems of ice and snow rose from the earth to drive back anyone foolish enough to rush their mistress, their defining roars echoing for miles and caused even the bravest of men to turn and flee in terror.

The king rode back to his castle gravely injured after being thrown from his horse, and though he lay dying he saw his loss not as a failure but as an opportunity.

"The first of my sons to kill that winter bitch and avenge me will be named king upon my death!"

Hans fled the castle at first light, desperate to get to Elsa before his brothers did.

When Elsa first discovered Hans yelling her name at the edge of the Wood she regarded him with bitterness and mistrust. But when he delivered his warning of those who sought to do her harm and they began to talk, Elsa felt the years spent apart melt away. They spoke until the sun had long since slipped below the horizon, drinking the wine Hans had brought from his father's cellar, and laughing like they were children again.

The next morning when Elsa awoke she knew only pain. It felt as though her hands had been clasped in gloves of iron, but when she held them up to the light she found no metal, no gloves, nothing at all. The fairy stared in horror at the bloody stumps that sprouted from her wrists bound tightly with old rags. How? And then she caught sight of the vial lying in the now frost-covered grass next to Hans' wine skin. The air was sucked from her lungs and her mouth worked to produce the sounds she desperately wanted to expel, while sharp spines of ice rose up from the ground to surround her. When Elsa found her voice again the girl's screams tore through the Wood like a knife through flesh, so that all those who resided in the Enchanted Wood knew her anguish. The fae had never known cold such as what they felt that day.

The next few days found the winter fairy still unmoved from the clearing in which Hans had left her, curled on her side and empty of tears. The other fae left her alone, for they all knew there was nothing they could do or say that would ease Elsa's suffering, though they mourned the loss with her. On the fifth day, Elsa rose from her fog of grief and returned to her ice palace where she locked herself away from the world, unable to stomach the sympathetic looks and hushed whispers.

Elsa's first attempts at magic after the incident were sloppy and excruciating. Even the simplest casting left her gasping and covered in sweat. However, the pain did not stop Elsa from working constantly to regain control, her anger and hatred drove her.

In a month's time Elsa had once again regained full reign over her magic, but it no longer carried the graceful and fluid quality it once had, instead it was hard and severe, much like its wielder. For when the woman finally emerged from her self-inflicted isolation she was no longer the Elsa that everyone had grown to love, Hans' betrayal had changed her. Her cerulean eyes were devoid of light and all the fae could sense the darkness that now tainted Elsa's heart like a sickness, and they feared that it would one day consume her. However, the biggest difference was not her cool demeanor or the fact that Elsa now seemed hell bent on having her clothing cover every inch of exposed skin; instead it was her hands… and not the lack of them, but rather their reappearance. Where flesh and bone once grew was now solid ice that connected to Elsa's wrists before continuing partway up her forearms so that at first glance it simply looked as though the fairy was wearing a set of lovely ice-blue gloves.

Determined to uncover the true reason Hans had done such an unforgivable act to a person he once called 'sister' Elsa created her first servant, Beskytter.

The snow leopard prowled behind her mistress on silent paws, waiting patiently for Elsa's command as they walked to the edges of the Wood. Born only a few hours ago the sentient creature was fashioned entirely out of ice so detailed that if you were to stroke the big cat she would not feel smooth like glass, for she possessed a thick coat made of fine ice crystals that looked and felt like real fur. Currently, she had only two thoughts; protect, obey.

When Elsa sent her servant to the castle she didn't know what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't the news Beskytter delivered to her the next day.

 _Mistress?_

Elsa started in surprise when the low, velvety voice suddenly filled her head, but smiled when she saw the snow leopard walking through the trees towards her. Elsa nodded in greeting as cold dread settled in her belly and caused her phantom fingers to itch.

 _I watched the human stone-den as you commanded. I listened to many human talks and heard one tell his companion about a celebration called 'coronation'. They said a princehans was going to be changing into a king… mistress?_

Elsa had gone completely still as the snow cat's words sunk in and dark clouds formed overhead, blanketing the Wood in shadow.

Elsa looked down at her hands as they balled into tight fists. "He did this to me so that he could be king?"

"HE DID THIS TO ME SO THAT HE COULD BE KING!" Elsa's fury erupted from her body and into her magic as a massive column of ice and snow churned around her and leaped up to meet the sky. The vortex rose so high and woke such a clap of thunder that it made the earth tremble. It was sure to have been heard and seen even by those in the human kingdom. Perhaps even a newly crowned king looking out his window and feeling a sharp thrill of fear at the sight.

From that moment on Elsa had only one goal in life… revenge. And in order to properly exact such a thing one must find out what it is exactly that your enemy holds most dear. Hans held no such love for anything; not for Elsa, not for the new wife he had been given, and certainly not for his kingdom. The only thing that evil man loved was himself… so Elsa waited, and nine months later she was rewarded for her patience.

The news of princess Anna's birth spread quickly throughout the kingdom, and it's people rejoiced. When it came time for the christening all manner of folk were invited to join in the grand celebration, even three fae who sought to foster peace between the two kingdoms, were permitted to bring gifts for the child. It was during the presentation of these gifts that Elsa made her appearance.

The cold came first, heralding her arrival like the calm before the storm. The people would look around in confusion as a bitter wind flooded the ballroom grabbing at hair and clothing and taking the candlelight with it. The king would shiver on his throne, and it would have nothing to do with the chill that caused clouds of vapor to appear each time he exhaled. And everyone would look up in alarm as frost spread quickly across the glass of each window, further darkening the room.

The crowd parted neatly as the fairy walked smoothly toward the dais, her footsteps echoing through the room, and Beskytter dutifully at her side. Elsa ignored the hushed whispers, and the gasps of fear at the sight of the snow cat, for she had eyes only for the king. Elsa could see the glimmer of fear that clouded the green of his eyes and she reveled in it. When she reached the bottom of the steps that lead to throne she stopped, and smiled.

"Well, well. What a glittering assemblage _King Hans_ ," Elsa said sweetly. "Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and it seems you have even invited some of the… _lesser_ fae." The three tiny fairies had now flown in front of the little monster's cradle as if to shield it from Elsa. "I must admit, I really felt quiet distressed at not having received an invitation."

"You're not welcome here," came Hans' calm reply, but Elsa heard the tremor in his voice and it only served make her smile widen.

"Oh dear," Elsa said feigning distress. "What an awkward situation."

"A-are you n-not offended?" The queen asked timidly, eyeing Beskytter.

"Of course not, my dear. And to show I bear no ill will, I too have brought a gift for the princess." Elsa turned towards the cradle and when she looked down at the squirming pink thing with its mop of red hair and a small dusting of freckles, she had to fight the urge to freeze the thing right there and be done with it. But Elsa had bigger plans.

"Elsa!" The king had risen from his seat, calm façade broken, causing Beskytter to step in front of her creator and release a low growl of warning. Hans ignored the cat. "Don't do this."

The winter fae simply held a frozen finger to her lips and shushed him.

"Stay away from the princess!" shouted one of the pixies buzzing around the cradle. "Elsa, please this isn't you, don't let-" Elsa flicked the air as though she were ridding herself of a bothersome insect and the three fairies were thrown across the room and sealed in a hollow bench, effectively silencing their objections.

As she turned back around Elsa waved a hand lazily above the child who watched her with curious sky-blue eyes and waved her pudgy little arms in the air when a flurry of snowflakes danced around her head.

" _Listen well, all of you."_ Elsa's voice had taken on a strange, other-worldly quality that raised hairs and made skin prickle. " _The princess_ will _grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who meet her, but_ …" The wind had picked up again, however this time the vortex seemed to concentrate mostly on Elsa as snow and ice swirled around her. " _A sliver of ice now rests deep within the princess' heart, and there it will remain. When the sun sets on her 18th birthday she will touch her reflection in a looking glass and to solid ice will she freeze, forever!"_

When Hans got on his knees and begged her not to continue Elsa had to physically stop herself from crowing in triumph. Now he finally knew what it felt like to be completely powerless as someone took something precious from you.

"Alright," Elsa purred. " _The curse_ can _be broken, but only by… an act of true love,"_ Elsa's grin had turned almost feral. _"This curse will last until the end of time, no power on earth can change it. For only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."_

Elsa's laughter echoed through castle long after she'd left.

 **I am actually pretty happy with how this turned out. I know canon Elsa is not this vindictive, but after Hans' betrayal she becomes more like concept!Elsa or at least the Elsa was saw during her fight with the Weselton men, so hopefully she doesn't seem too OOC. However, maybe a certain someone can help Elsa get back to the snow queen we all know and love ;) Anyways I hope you liked it, please review!**


	2. Part 2

**Thanks for being patient guys! I know it's a day late but hopefully it was worth the wait :D**

King Hans ordered his men to seize every looking glass throughout the kingdom and have them destroyed so that they may never be used again. The mirrors were shattered and ground into dust, and thrown in the deepest dungeon of the castle. Secretly, Hans entrusted the safety of his daughter to the three fae who had witnessed Elsa invoke her curse, in the hopes that their magic would somehow protect the princess. They would take little Anna away into hiding for 18 years and a day.

Hans locked himself away behind the walls of his castle while he sent his soldiers to search far and wide to find Elsa and cut her down. But she built walls of her own, so that the Enchanted Wood could never again suffer the touch of humans.

Far away, the pixies began their charge, to raise princess Anna in a snug cottage in the woods. To avoid suspicion from the local laborers, and in order to properly blend in, they disguised themselves as three peasant women caring for their orphan child. Though it was soon clear that the fairies were unequal to their task.

Unbeknownst to the undercover fae, Elsa had been lurking nearby. She scowled yet again as she watched the dimwitted pixies attempt to feed the wailing baby vegetables for the third time that day, and when night fell with Anna _still_ crying of an empty stomach Elsa decided to intervene. As appealing as it was, it would simply not do to have the little beast die of starvation before her curse could come to pass. And so, the child finally fell silent when a blue, spotted housecat jumped into the cradle, carrying a flower bud filled with goat's milk in its teeth.

Back at the castle King Hans descended further into darkness, consumed by paranoia and a thirst for vengeance. When his men told him of the hundred-foot wall of thorns Elsa had created with her magic, and how it now protected the Wood, he commanded them to demolish it. The barrier was only made of ice after all, and ice could be melted.

The next day his guard captain rode back to the castle injured and empty-handed after the catapults and fire had failed. He claimed that the wall had fought back, that it was indestructible. Hans had been beside himself with fury, striking the captain and knocking things to the floor when he stabbed his hunting knife into his desk. As Hans stared down at the knife, wild-eyed and panting, he recalled the first time he had tried to kiss the back of Elsa's hand. Remembering how she had flinched away when his ring had touched her flesh.

"Bring me the iron-workers."

As the years passed princess Anna did grow, in grace and in beauty, just as Elsa had said she would. She could often be found dancing through the trees of the forest behind her aunts' cottage, or singing in the garden, or playing chase with the oddly coloured 'little kitten' that liked to sit on her window frame and purr contentedly when she scratched behind its cold ears. And throughout all those years Elsa always remained close by, watching, waiting… and occasionally rescuing the girl whenever her caregivers' stupidity turned potentially fatal.

Anna lived a happy life with her three aunts away from the castle she remembered nothing about, but secretly she longed for more. Anna dreamed of adventure, of meeting new people, and of love.

As the seasons changed and the flowers grew, Anna matured into a lovely young woman. She wondered at the world about her, and at what lay beyond the icy wall of thorns that glittered menacingly at her whenever she walked the path at its edge. And on a cold winter's day that found her once again gazing up at the wall in wonder, she got her answer.

Anna wasn't really sure how she'd made it through the ice, only that she had been startled by some palace soldiers who had been working on the path before blacking out. When she awoke, Anna was amazed to find herself lying in a clearing the likes of which she could only have imagined in her dreams, and yet it was so much more than that. For there was no way even her wandering mind could ever have come up with something this wonderful.

Despite it being the middle of the night Anna had no trouble seeing the landscape around her. Every inch of this strange new world seemed to glow with its own supernatural aura, and Anna could feel the thrum of magic all around her. Every colour imaginable and even a few Anna couldn't name, illuminated the clearing; it was as if the northern lights had fallen from the sky to dance along the forest floor. A large pool of water sprawled out in front of her, the surface of which was littered with twinkling lights that further revealed themselves to be little creatures that looked just like what she'd pictured the mermaids from her storybooks to look like, only much smaller.

Anna laughed as five of the tiny mermaids flew around her, chirping excitedly and tickling her ears with their fish-like tails. One of the fae stopped its circling to hover a few inches from Anna's face, studying the girl curiously. She reached towards it just as it reached for her, and right before their hands could meet the creature seemed to catch sight of something in the bushes because it quickly darted away, its sisters close behind.

The princess peered into the shadows, looking for whatever had frightened her new friends. Just as she thought that maybe there hadn't actually been anything there at all, Anna caught a glimpse of movement and a flash of two brilliantly blue eyes.

"I know you're there," Anna called to the eyes. "Don't be afraid."

A distinctly feminine voice chuckled from its hiding place. "I'm not afraid."

"Then come out," Anna challenged.

The eye's widened a little at the girl's boldness. "Then _you_ will be afraid," the voice replied, but it was stated more as a fact rather than a threat.

Anna quickly shook her head and stood up a little taller. "No I won't." The redhead watched as the eyes considered her for a moment, starring at her unblinking. Their owner seemed to make a decision and slowly she stepped into the light.

Anna watched in fascination as a beautiful woman who looked to be in her late twenties emerged from the bushes. She had hair the colour of newly fallen snow, which was pulled back and woven into an intricate knot at the base of her skull. Her skin was so pale it seemed to reflect the moonlight, or at least the skin that Anna could see. Most of it was covered up, and even the woman's neatly folded hands were concealed by gloves. When the woman turned her head slightly Anna saw that her ears were pointed and her neck as well as the lower half of her jaw was covered in what Anna first thought to be scars, but instead were raised patterns of swirling snowflakes.

She wore a shimmering blue dress trimmed in fur as white as her hair, as a well as a long cloak that appeared to be made from the same pelt, draped around her shoulders. The hood of the cloak sat upright behind her head, giving the dress the appearance of having a very high collar and Anna wondered how the snowflake pendant that held it in place could support something that looked so heavy. Anna also wondered why someone would be wearing an outfit like that in the middle of summer, wasn't she hot?

Anna released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and swallowed. "I know who you are."

The strange woman raised a single perfect eyebrow. "Do you?" she asked sounding amused.

"You're my fairy godmother!" Anna gushed, giggling excitedly and bringing her hands together, twin red plaits bouncing on her shoulders.

Her godmother looked mildly scandalized. "What?"

If Anna hadn't been so enthralled with the person she'd dreamed of meeting her entire life, she would have noticed the slight dip in temperature.

Anna rolled her eyes a little at the fairy's obviously pretend disbelief. "Godmother," she said pointedly. "All my books say that fairy godmothers are always with you and take care of you even if you cant see them. You've been watching over me my whole life. I've always known you were close by."

Elsa began to move closer, eyeing the girl with a renewed sense of curiosity, her cape trailing behind her. "How?"

"Your shadow," Anna said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's been following me ever since I was small. Wherever I go, your shadow is always with me."

They studied one another for a time, Anna smiling gleefully and Elsa looking somewhat impressed.

Anna was the first to break their staring match when the sudden rustle of leaves behind her godmother caught the girl's attention. Her grin grew wider as she recognized the feral cat that lived near her home as it trotted into the clearing and leaped up onto a nearby tree branch. It sat down watching her with eyes that shone with intelligence.

"I remember you… _little kitten_ ," she teased. The cat meowed at her in response.

"This is Beskytter," Elsa said nodding toward the feline who began to purr loudly. The winter fairy then waved her hand, releasing a flash of white that erupted into a small cloud of snow, which spiraled gently through her fingers. Suddenly the 'little kitten' wasn't so little anymore.

Anna had to take a step back when the cat, in a flurry of yet more snow – Anna was starting to see this was a theme with her godmother – transformed into an impressive snow leopard. She might have been frightened if Beskytter wasn't still purring happily, though the pitch was decidedly much lower than before.

 _Hello, Anna._

The princess started and gave a little gasp of surprise when the voice filled her head. She couldn't say why, but somehow Anna knew it had come from the big cat even though its muzzle hadn't so much as twitched. "Oh – um – hello," she said timidly. "I guess I can't call you little kitten anymore."

The cat made a rumbling noise that resonated from deep within her chest and it sounded almost like a laugh. _Could_ cats laugh? Though Anna supposed the notion that cats could laugh was pretty low on her list of strange things that had happened today.

 _I've known you since you were just a cub._ _You may call me whatever you wish._

Beskytter padded up to Anna and bumped her head against the girl's hand. Anna beamed as she scratched the leopard in that special spot behind her ear before looking back up at Elsa who was watching the pair with an expression that could almost be mistaken for affection.

Anna couldn't hold it back anymore and she began to pace around the clearing, practically buzzing with excitement. "Oh it's everything I imagined it would be!" she exclaimed before turning and skipping back to her fairy godmother. Elsa jerked back in alarm at the girl's enthusiasm. "It's just so beautiful! Can we-"

It was suddenly too much for Elsa and she blew a handful of magic into the girl's face, effectively silencing her as the redhead fell into unconsciousness. "High-strung little beast isn't she?" Elsa said to Beskytter. "And rather noisy too."

The servant made her low sound of amusement again.

Anna couldn't stay away after that. Every evening she would tell her aunts that she was going for a walk and every evening she would meet Elsa at the place in the wall where they had first met, to be escorted into the Wood.

Elsa taught her all about the fae and their laws. She taught Anna how properly greet a tree spirit and how gain the respect of the water nymphs so that she would be permitted to drink from their pools. Anna learned to tell which berries were safe to eat and which would make her sick. She had mud fights with the toad fae and rode Beskytter through the meadows, racing the other fae. Her laughter filled the Wood and all the fae grew to love her… and much to her dismay so did Elsa.

The young girl had woken the part of Elsa that she'd locked away ever since Hans' betrayal. She actually enjoyed sharing her magic with others again; conjuring snow for Anna to make angels in, allowing herself to be dragged onto a frozen pond so that she could teach the human girl to skate, and taking Anna to her ice palace. When she was with Anna it felt like the fog had lifted and Elsa was seeing the sun for the first time in forever. She found herself laughing again, it had been so long Elsa had worried she'd forgotten how, but Anna had coaxed it out of her regardless.

The two of them were sitting under a tree when Anna presented her godmother with a special gift.

"What is it?" Elsa asked eyeing the box apprehensively.

"It's chocolate," Anna announced, lifting the lid in a flourish to reveal rows of neat little brown squares.

Elsa tilted her head to one side; an action that Anna decided was absolutely adorable. "It's what?"

Anna looked at the winter fairy in complete shock, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"What? Have I offended you?"

Anna snapped her mouth shut with an audible click and shook her head. "No no, it's just, you've really never had chocolate before?"

Elsa shrugged. "No, nothing like that grows here in the Wood and we fae do not trade with humans for such things."

Anna flushed a little with embarrassment. Of course her fairy godmother wouldn't have ever seen chocolates before. It was a man-made sweet and humans weren't permitted to enter the Wood, well except for her, a realization that made Anna warm inside. It had just surprised her so much because it was _chocolate_ and how could anyone survive without it.

"Oh right, sorry," she said bashfully. But her embarrassment faded into excitement at they idea of seeing her godmother's reaction to her first taste of the delectable treat. "Here, try one," she said thrusting the box out in front of her. "You'll love it."

Tentatively Elsa reached out and picked up one of the strange foods that Anna seemed so keen on sharing with her. She held it up close to her face, its surface was smooth and when she sniffed it, it smelled sweet with a hint of cream. Still not seeing what all the fuss was about, Elsa popped the thing into her mouth.

Anna held her breath as she watched her godmother chew watching her expression carefully for any hint of enjoyment. "Well?" Anna prompted. The fairy chewed once, twice, three more times before she finally swallowed, smacking her lips together thoughtfully.

A wide grin split the older woman's face and a faint blush painted her cheeks. "Oh these are lovely," she exclaimed happily, eyeing the remaining chocolates sitting in the box Anna still held in her hands. "May I try another?"

The next thing Anna knew her entire stash had been decimated, but it been completely worth it just to see joy on the winter fairy's face as she ate. The only evidence the chocolates had existed at all were the dark smudges on her godmother's gloves.

"Godmother?" Anna said sounding shy.

"Mhmm," Elsa hummed, running her fingers through the grass to clean off any residual chocolate stains.

"Can I ask you something?"

Something in the girl's voice made Elsa stop what she was doing and look up. "Of course, Anna. What is it?"

"Why do you wear gloves all the time?" Anna expelled in a rush.

Elsa went absolutely still.

Anna could see about fifty different emotions flash across her face and the patterns along her jaw and throat seemed to be glowing a little.

She squirmed a little under her godmother's intense gaze. "It's just, I've never seen you take them off. Not that that's a bad thing. I guess I always figured you had a thing about dirt or something. You don't have to take them off, I was just wondering. You know what don't worry about it, forget I asked."

Elsa continued to stare at the girl for a few moments, desperately trying to think of how to respond. Unable to come up with the right words, Elsa decided that sometimes it made more sense to let your actions speak for you.

The winter fairy raised one of her hands between them, palm facing in and slowly released the spell that held her ice in place. Starting at her forearm the ice began to climb up towards her hand, revealing the skin of her arm, then her wrist, then… the rest dissolved away.

Anna couldn't tear her gaze away, blue eyes gawking at the stump in disbelief.

"Both?" she breathed.

Elsa nodded, her expression pained.

"Were they always…"

"No," Elsa said, knowing what she was trying to ask. "I had hands once… they were strong."

"How?"

The marks on her neck glowed a little brighter. "I placed my trust in the wrong people, and they were stolen from me," she explained, voice tight. "That is all I wish to say on the matter," Elsa said in a tone that forbade argument as she re-conjured her phantom limb, flexing her fingers experimentally.

Before she had time to process what was happening, Elsa felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her and attempt to crush her ribcage. Eyes wide with surprise and arms held up and to the side, Elsa looked down to find Anna clinging to her waist.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered against her chest, and Elsa felt all her anger, regret, and despair melt away. Elsa gratefully returned the embrace as a warmth the likes of which she had never felt before fill her entire body from the tips of her toes, to the top of her head.

Elsa couldn't remember a time when she had been this happy and was all because of her sweet Anna. The ice Elsa had painstakingly placed around her heart to protect herself from being hurt again was slowly melting away, and it scared her. And with each passing day they spent together Elsa became more aware of the girl's fast approaching 18th birthday.


	3. Part 3

"Fairy godmother!"

Elsa could hear the tremor in her Anna's voice and immediately dismissed the ice crystals she had been using to mend the chip in Beskytter's paw.

"I'm here," she called, moving into the clearing just as Anna burst from the line of trees. Elsa took in the girl's red eyes, trembling bottom lip, and torn clothing - most likely a result of her sprint through the Wood - and her heart sank.

"When were you going to tell me I'm cursed?" Anna demanded.

Elsa went still and the Wood grew a little colder. The winter fairy could do nothing but stare unmoving at the girl, tongue heavy in her mouth, and swallowed thickly.

"Is it true?" Anna asked eyes turning glassy with unshed tears.

Elsa felt hot tears of her own spring up to blur her vision as the guilt she carried with her always tightened its grip on her throat. "It is."

Elsa wanted to weep at the sound of Anna's hitched breath and the sight of the despair that marred her bright blue eyes. The temperature sank lower.

"My aunts," Anna sniffed, "my aunts said it was an evil fairy…" the princess looked away, wiping at her eyes and furrowing her brow in thought. "I… I can't remember her name… they said… said it was…"

"Elsa."

Anna's head snapped up and she nodded slowly. As they gazed at one another, Anna's expression went from sudden realization to unbearable pain.

"Is… is that you, are you Elsa?" Anna whimpered.

The fairy couldn't move, couldn't speak as her world ground to a sudden and jarring halt. The person she loved most in this world was now watching her with a look of such utter betrayal that it felt as though someone had reached inside her icy chest and crushed her heart into dust. Her happiness was over; it had only been a matter of time. She had been a fool to believe that she could be anything other than the monster Hans has turned her into. Elsa took a step forward and reached out to the girl, she needed to make Anna understand, but just as the woman opened her mouth Anna jumped back.

"No, don't touch me!" she snapped. "You're the evil that's in the world, it's you!"

Any remaining pieces of Elsa's damaged heart shattered in that moment.

 _I tried!_ Elsa wanted to scream as she watched Anna vanish into the trees. Elsa had wanted to take it back, but when she'd commanded the shard to leave the princess' heart and undo the curse, it wouldn't listen. She'd spent hours standing over Anna's sleeping form, desperately willing the ice to come back to her as her own voice, a voice from long ago, whispered cruel truths in her ear. _This curse will last until the end of time, no power on earth can change it. For only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart._

An act of true love… true love…

A spark of hope, small and wavering, bloomed in Elsa's chest as the image of a boy with a mop of blond hair and soft brown eyes, flashed through the winter fairy's mind.

"Find the boy!" Elsa yelled, triggering Beskytter to bolt into the undergrowth.

Taking a deep breath and waving away the sharp spines of ice that had risen along her shoulders and under her feet in response to her furious command, Elsa pushed back a memory that made the spark falter. The memory of her revealing to Beskytter the reason she had chosen true love as the key to undoing her curse.

"No," Elsa snarled under her breath. If Anna had taught her anything it would be that anyone could be saved… she had to try.

Anna buried her heels into her horse's flanks as the castle finally came into sight. The beast snorted in response and galloped faster towards the gate, towards her family.

Anna looked around as the palace guard led her to the king and couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of this strange world she'd been denied. Heavy tapestries and paintings decorated the walls while thick rugs covered the stones underfoot. The fireplaces they passed were all lit, a blazing fire burning tall in each of them despite it being the middle of summer, it was almost as if the king was afraid of the cold. Anna couldn't help but notice that it didn't seem to be working, the castle didn't feel any warmer than a night in spring. However, when she looked back up at her escort she was alarmed to see sweat dotting his brow just under his helm. The girl however, didn't have time to ponder this anomaly as they had arrived at the throne room.

"… there should be no guards at the gate. I want her to walk…"

The knight cleared his throat. "Sorry to disturb, your majesty," he called to a group of men who stood hunched over a large piece of parchment, all dressed as if ready to fight in a battle. "We found this urchin at the gate," he paused, "she claims to be the princess."

He was the last to turn and look at her, but when he did Anna immediately knew it was him. It wasn't his disheveled copper hair that so closely resembled her own that gave him away or even the golden coat of arms on his tunic that marked him as king. Instead it was his eyes, the emerald green of his irises stirred a long forgotten part of her memory and she just… knew.

"Father!" Anna exclaimed skipping forward and throwing her arms around the man's waist. Anna was so happy that she hardly noticed that he did not return her embrace. "I didn't think I would be able to recognize you because it's been so long and you're a lot older than you were when you sent me away. Not that you're old, I didn't mean that you look old, you actually look pretty young, for a father."

When she pulled away, rubbing her eyes, the king was looking at her with an intense look of longing, and something else Anna couldn't put a name to.

"You look just like your mother," he said softly, and for a moment they simply gazed at each other, as father and daughter. But in an instant the king's expression turned dark and Anna shivered.

"They brought you back a day too soon. I told those three idiots!" he turned back to the guard who had brought Anna to him. "Lock her up, in her room. Go!"

Anna felt a hand on her arm just before she was pulled away.

"Prepare the men... Elsa is coming."

Her mouth went dry.

"Here you are, dear," said the matron - Gerda, she'd said her name was - who had shown Anna to her living quarters. "We just finished putting it together this morning, and a good thing too. We hadn't been expecting you until tomorrow," the woman said cheerfully.

Anna did her best to return the portly woman's smile but she was too busy admiring just how lovely her new bedroom was. The bed alone took up half the chamber with its many plush cushions and velvet curtains hanging from the four posts resting in its corners. There were two bookcases filled with enough books to last Anna a lifetime and a small writing table next to the large bay window that overlooked the castle's courtyard. It was so beautiful, and hers.

Anna rubbed her arms absentmindedly.

"Are you cold, princess?" Gerda asked rushing forward to the ornate fireplace resting in the corner. "Let me just get this lit."

"Thank you, but you don't need to-"

"Nonsense," Gerda interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "It's no trouble at all."

As Gerda hurried to coax the fire back to life, Anna began to walk around. The redhead smiled when she noticed the many vases that dotted the room, all of which housing a different type of flower. Anna walked over to the nearest arrangement and reached out to pick up one bloom in particular.

"Snowdrops," Anna whispered sadly.

"Yes they are quite beautiful aren't they?" Gerda said walking up behind her. "Did they grow around where you were living?"

"You could say that. They were her favourite…" Anna said swallowing past the lump in her throat.

"Whose favourite, dear?" the older woman prompted gently.

Anna rubbed her eyes again. "A friend of mine… or at least someone I thought was my friend."

The two women were silent for a few moments, each lost in her own thoughts.

"Why was my father talking about Elsa?" Anna asked suddenly. "Why did he say that Elsa was coming? Why would he think she'd come here?"

Gerda quickly turned anxious at the girl's questions and began fiddling with her apron. "I'm sorry, princess but I don't think… I shouldn't…"

"He isn't… he isn't going to hurt her is he?" Anna said clasping her hands together in front of her chest, as if praying for Gerda to give her the answer she wanted.

When the maid did not respond Anna felt a lead weight settle in her stomach.

"I have to talk to him," Anna said moving towards the door but Gerda stepped in her path.

"I'm sorry, princess but the king has given strict instructions to keep you here until morning, when the curse is broken," Gerda said backing up until she'd found the door's handle. "I will have something sent up later for your dinner, in the meantime you should rest. You've had a long day."

The second Gerda had shut the bedroom door behind her Anna ran forward to pull it back open but it wouldn't budge. She was trapped.

Anna began to pace furiously around the room that was beginning to feel more and more like a cage and scrubbed at her face. "Stupid eyes," she muttered. The girl had been trying to rid herself of the awful itching in her eyes since the moment she'd risen from bed. She had tried to get a look at them in the stream by her aunt's cottage but she hadn't been able to see them properly in the shifting water, and washing them didn't help either. She desperately wished she had something that would let her see if she'd gotten anything in them... but that could wait.

"I have to talk to father. Maybe when Gerda comes back with my food I can distract her and sneak out or…"

Anna felt something brush against her ear like the caress of a lover's lips right before the itching in her eyes amplified ten fold so that it bordered on pain. Groaning in discomfort Anna pushed the heels of her palms against her eyelids that had snapped firmly shut. "There has to be something in them," Anna growled to no one in particular. "I need to look at myself. I need… I need a..."

 _A looking glass._ Anna started and looked around the bedroom in confusion when a voice that sounded so familiar, and yet so unfamiliar, filled her head. She had never heard the word before but she was suddenly overcome with the unyielding need to find one, but first she needed to get out of this room.

 _Behind the curtain_ , the voice whispered again, and before she could register what she was doing Anna reached up and pulled aside the tapestry closest to her - it depicted a woman charging into battle mounted on a white destrier. The fabric wasn't as heavy as Anna had been expecting and peeled away easily, revealing a small wooden door.

Moving of its own accord, as if being manipulated by a puppet master's strings, the princess' hand rose up to grab the handle, and at the same moment she pushed down Anna heard the lock click open.

 _That way_ , the familiar-unfamiliar voice cooed as Anna followed her feet through what must have been the servant's quarters, moving between baskets of clothing and fresh linens hanging to dry from the rafters. No one paid her any attention, they didn't know who she was. To them she was just a girl who'd wandered down the wrong hallway, not the hidden princess home a day too early.

As Anna walked quickly through the king's castle, footsteps echoing off the flagstones, the redhead felt the unnatural pull that had led her here grow stronger. She had to be getting close.

"Faster, Beskytter! Come on!" Elsa shouted over the pounding of the former snow cat's newly forged hooves. Her servant surged forward, leaving a trail of glittering frost in her wake.

Elsa quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure her unwitting companion was still behind her. The prince lay slumped over his steed's withers, face pressed into the shaggy beast's neck and rocking precariously in his saddle with each galloping stride. When she turned back around Elsa watched in despair as the sun steadily sank towards to the horizon.

 _Anna... Anna over here…_

There were many voices now, each vying for their turn to hiss soft words in her ear. And the itching, god the itching, had grown almost unbearable, driving all other thoughts from her mind until all that remained was 'find the looking glass, make it stop.'

In what felt like the blink of an eye, Anna found herself standing at the top of a winding staircase, and somehow she knew without a doubt that was where she had to go. Slowly she began her descent, deep into the bowels of the castle.

Elsa scarcely felt the hot tears that ran down her face as a sharp thrill of magic raced up her spine to linger at the base of her skull. Her curse had begun.

The handle turned without protest when Anna reached the ominous door at the foot of the staircase. It was cold and dark and damp down here but the princess ignored all of that as she pushed the heavy door open, old hinges complaining loudly. A gust of cold air met her when she stepped into the room, pushing her hair back, and the air seemed to be charged with electricity. There were no windows or candles in sight but somehow an ethereal blue glow lit the room enough that she could see. Piles of something that looked like dust, lay scattered around the room, but oddly they seemed to be shimmering in the dim light. In between the glittering mounds sat the charred remains of thousands of wooden frames of all different sizes and fashions, and Anna wondered how they had gotten there.

Her confusion was only momentary as the pain in her eyes flared anew, causing her to cry out and squeeze them shut. A crackling, hissing sound made the girl force, with a great deal of difficulty, them back open and started in surprise when she saw three fingers of ice creeping along the floor from under her feet. She watched in fascination as the ice slowly lifted one of the frames that was still mostly intact and held it level with her face. Anna didn't have to touch it to know how cold it was as small wisps of vapor curled around the now rime coated wood. Frozen fractals spread out from the edges of the frame in geometric patterns to create a thin film of ice in the center.

 _When the sun sets on her 18th birthday…_

Anna took a step forward.

 _She will touch her reflection in a looking glass…_

The face that stared back at her was not her own. The dead-eyed, pale thing before her simply could not be her, and yet had to be. Anna was vaguely aware that itching in her eyes had stopped, but she reached out her hand regardless.

 _And to solid ice will she freeze…_

The moment her fingertips brushed the ice, Anna felt something shift deep inside her chest and gasped when the cold hit. It was as if someone had upturned a bucket full of ice-cold water on her head and when she looked down Anna saw that her hair had turned a pure white.

 _Forever…_

"No," Elsa whimpered as she felt the telltale pull in her gut just as the last of the sun's light disappeared below the hills, covering the land in twilight. She was too late. "It is done," she said bitterly and slumped forward to rest her head against Beskytter's neck.

 _Mistress,_ Beskytter said gently. _There is still hope… the human male._

The winter fairy nodded, sitting up straight in her saddle and wiping at her tear-soaked cheeks. Raising her chin in an expression of defiance Elsa locked her gaze on the castle looming in the distance as dark clouds formed overhead.

By the time Elsa reached the castle's gate, night had claimed them, so that only a few burning torches were left to light her way. Snow had started to fall gently from the sky just as a icy wind swept over the castle, causing the many raised standards to snap and wave above them. The winter fairy could detect no movement in and around the massive building and the silence was so thick that it felt almost like a physical weight on her shoulders. But despite the apparent emptiness of the castle Elsa knew they were in there, knew _he_ was in there, watching her every movement… waiting.

Beskytter, now back to her proper form, moved to stand as her creator's side. _He has moved the human-protectors that wield long metal claws. He acts like you are prey and waits for you to wander into his teeth. Mistress, the human-alpha wishes to hunt you… we will not return if you climb into his den..._

Elsa looked down at the snowcat and stroked her head affectionately, savouring the feel of the soft fur she had so lovingly fashioned. This sentient creature was very much a part of her and yet was still a separate being.

"You can stay here if you wish," Elsa said gently, "and live out your life in the Wood. This is not your fight."

The snow leopard regarded her for a few moments, head cocked slightly to one side. _This has always been my fight, mistress… Anna is my heart-sister too._

Fighting past the lump in her throat Elsa nodded before turning back towards the prince, still unconscious in his seat, and waved her hand. A dervish of arctic air and snow sprang from her palm to slide underneath the boy, lifting him into the air and cradling him so that he hung suspended face down. As the winter fairy and her creation stepped into the castle's shadow, prince kristoff drifted dutifully behind them.

"Look at her," Hans whispered as he looked down at Anna, still dressed in his battle armor. "Look at what you've done."

The three fairies to whom he'd entrusted his daughter's safety looked down in shame. They had come back to him not long after the princess' arrival and had attempted to explain what happened but he hadn't wanted to hear it. 18 years he had been planning his revenge on Elsa, _18 years_. But it had all rested on the knowledge that the curse would fail, and now here he was, watching his only child freeze to death.

The princess lay shivering on her bed, wrapped in about a dozen thick blankets and pushed right next to the fireplace. Gerda had found her in the dungeons huddled on the floor, she was alive but her flesh was ice cold to the touch and her hair turned white.

"She's just cold, we need to warm her up," said one of the fairies.

"She's… She's just cold?" he simpered, a dangerous gleam in his eye that made all of the present castle staff wince. Smiling, the king walked towards the three fae hovering in the air next to Anna's bed, his chainmail rattling against his chest plate. "She is just cold." His expression turned to that of barely contained fury. "She is just cold because she's turning to ice from the inside out!" he roared striking one of the pixies hard enough to send her sailing across the room with a cry of pain.

"Hey!" Anna yelped from under her mountain of covers. "Don't hurt my aunts, they're only trying to help," she scolded angrily.

Hans rounded on her, "Your aunts? These imbeciles are not your family, they are perverted creatures that have no place among us! And their stupidity has condemned you to death!"

"What about the act of true love?" piped up one of the fae Hans hadn't assaulted.

"Yes!" cried another. "We just need to find her an act of true love! A true love's kiss perhaps?"

Hans scoffed loudly. "True love? True love does not exist. Don't you get it, that's why Elsa used it as the way to break her curse! It's not real!"

"What?" Anna whimpered, her entire body collapsing in on itself as the tiny glimmer of hope she had been coaxing to stay alive was all but snuffed out. A fear the likes of which the princess had never experienced before swept through her like wildfire… she was going to die. Just as the thought entered her mind, the cold that had pooled in the center of her chest began to crawl slowly outwards and Anna released a small choking sob.

Despite the fact that it was Elsa's curse that was killing her, Anna still found herself longing for her godmother. She loved her aunts dearly and she even loved this wild-eyed stranger that was supposed to be her father, but it was Elsa's arms she ached to curl up in. Sadness and regret filled the princess as she recalled their last meeting, how Anna had accused her godmother of being evil and seen the hurt those words had caused. And now she would never get to see Elsa again, never get the chance to tell the woman who had been almost like an older sister to her, how much she loved her.

Suddenly, one of the palace guards burst through the door, panting heavily. "Your majesty! Sire the witch has arrived!"

A feral grin painted Hans' face at the knight's announcement and glanced at the window where a winter storm was brewing, angry snowflakes slapping against the glass. "Finally," he chuckled darkly.

Anna shivered again, but this time it had nothing to do with the ice crawling under skin.

"Get me my weapon and helm! It is time I rid the world of that monster and put an end to her vile corruptions!" he snarled pushing past the knight and out into the hall.

Anna ripped aside the blankets and hurried after him. "Wait! What are you going to do? Please, father, please don't hurt her!" frightened tears clouded her vision as she ran to the door but the guard caught her before she could get past the threshold. "Please, she is my friend!" Anna shouted at her father's retreating back. "Please!"

The king ignored her pleas. "Lock her up! It's too late to save her, but I _will_ have my revenge!"

At his words Anna went still and would have sunk to her knees if the guard hadn't been holding her up. Her father had given up on her and was going to let her die alone so that he could murder the woman who had watched over the princess all her life. How had it come to this?

Elsa stared at the thorns in mute disgust. He was mocking her, toying with her like a cat would with its prey, acting as though this were all just a game. She could feel the iron's heat from where she was standing a few feet away and knew there was a good chance she would only be traveling through them once. Icing the 'thorns' wouldn't do her any good either, iron not only burned fairies but could also repel their magic, meaning her ice would simply dissolve as soon as it made contact with the metal.

Taking a deep breath and steeling herself for what she knew would be an exceedingly painful journey Elsa moved forward, but not before turning Beskytter into her smaller form. The house cat moved nimbly through the maze of thorns, careful not to let any of them touch her, for she was a creature crafted from magic and they had the power to harm her as well.

The going was slow but eventually the trio made it to the other side. Elsa was breathing heavily and drenched in sweat, every muscle screaming at her for twisting and straining them mercilessly. Since she had been so preoccupied with trying not to be flayed but the iron, the winter fairy hadn't been able to protect Kristoff from colliding with anything, and she was sure he'd acquired a few new bruises as a result. However, looking down at the many holes in her clothing where she could see heat blisters forming, the winter fairy couldn't seem to make herself feel sorry for him.

Moving silently through the castle corridors, and clutching the scruff of Beskytter (who was now back to her proper size)'s neck to keep her steady, Elsa followed the persistent call of her magic. It was a song meant for her ears only and the fairy knew that she only had to follow it and she would find her Anna. In what state Elsa would find her in, she had no idea.

Anna threw herself at the bedroom door for a third time, ignoring the pain that flared in her shoulder with each strike. There was no one there to stop her as she was completely alone, her father had ordered everyone to leave the room in case the curse decided to freeze anyone else.

Deciding that her efforts were futile, Anna stopped and simply stood panting in front of the door, resting her forehead against the wood as angry tears ran down her face. "What am I going to do?" she hiccuped. "He… he is going to kill Elsa. I wish she was here..." Anna's head shot up as she realized something. "Elsa _is_ here." Her expression turned to steel. "I have to see her!"

Anna tore around the bedroom looking for something, anything that she could use to force the door open. She had just picked up a heavy candlestick - rime ice running along the steel under her touch - when a voice made her go still.

"Princess?" Gerda's voice called anxiously from the other side of the door. "Princess, I brought you some more blankets and hot cocoa." Anna heard the jingling of keys and ran into position. "Are you still here, Miss? I hop-"

WHAM!

The tray in the maid's hand crashed loudly against the floor, cocoa staining the rug as Gerda collapsed under the candlestick's blow in a shower of ice crystals. Still clutching her weapon tightly in her hand, Anna looked down at the large woman in absolutely shock. She'd never struck anyone before in her life, let alone knocked a full grown woman unconscious. Shaking her head to bring her back to the present, Anna dropped the candlestick, rime breaking from her palm, and quickly checked to make sure Gerda was still breathing. When she was sure the matron was okay Anna stood and placed a blanket under her head. "Sorry, Gerda," she whispered before standing up and stumbling forward, a bloom of frost and thin spines of ice erupting under her feet with each step.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to walk as the ice spreading rapidly through her extremities caused her muscles to spasm violently. Anna could feel her joints growing stiff with cold and her clothing had become coated in a fine layer of frost. It was eerily quiet and Anna wondered where everyone was, the only sound coming from beyond the castle walls. The wind was howling its fury through any cracks or holes it could find between the stone and Anna was sure that if she looked outside she would find her line of sight filled with a blinding white. A painful prickling in her fingers made the girl look down, her eyes widened in alarm as she watched ice crystals form swirling patterns on her skin and turn the tips of her fingers blue. Clutching her hands to her chest Anna took a step forward using the wall as support, then another, then another, she had to find Elsa before her father did.

"Elsa!" The call left her lips before she had time to stop herself, the name echoing down the hall in a cruel mockery. Anna only prayed that its owner would be able to answer.

 **only one more instalment to go :)**


	4. Part 4

_Mistress, we are getting close, Beskytter said, though it sounded more like a question than a statement._

Elsa peered through the archway that lead into the king's throne room, the last time the fairy had been in this room she'd been a completely different person what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Stay here," Elsa whispered to Beskytter who nodded and sat down near the huntsman's body, still floating limply above her.

As the blonde walked down the center of the hall towards the dais, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. It was the only warning she had before all hell broke loose.

"Now!"

The shout followed by the rattling of metal caused Elsa to look up at the exact moment the iron net fell. The winter fairy cried out in agony as the weight of the iron pushed forced her on her hands and knees, searing her skin even through her thick clothing. The ring of battle cries and smell of burnt flesh assaulted her senses, and she was distantly aware of Beskytter's furious snarl. Men came at her from every direction, taunting her and laughing at her distress as she writhed in pain, all the while jabbing at her with the butt-ends of their weapons.

The edges of her vision blurred so that she could just make out a snow leopard's shape as it pounced onto a nearby soldier, driving him to the ground and biting down hard onto his shoulder. Fighting to remain conscious Elsa threw a handful of magic in her friend's direction and whispered, "into," a breath, "a," breath, "dragon".

Immediately the men's shouts were drowned out by a roar so loud and so powerful that it shook the entire castle to its foundation. Where a snow leopard once was, now stood a massive reptilian beast with great leathery wings that brushed the ceiling and with teeth the length of a man's arm. The creature roared again but this time it released a breath of arctic air that covered everything with a thick layer of frost and razor sharp spines of ice. The king's soldiers charged Beskytter, firing arrows into her chest and thrusting their spears at her legs. In a fit of rage, the dragon spat another icy breath at her attackers as threatening spines rose up along her back and shoulders like the quills of an angry porcupine.

Just as Elsa thought she couldn't hold on any longer, her blanket of fire was lifted and she could have wept in relief. She leapt to her feet just in time to see Beskytter toss the net at a group of archers, but before the fairy could call upon her magic to help an arrow hissed past her ear. Looking down at her shoulder, Elsa saw that the arrowhead had left a sizable gash in its wake so that blood bubbled up to stain her cloak. Gritting her teeth against the pain and willing her ice to seal the wound, Elsa turned to face the shooter, throwing her hand out in front of her to return fire. However, when the ice burst from her palm it did not find its mark, instead the ice shattered against a wall of iron, a wall that was slowly closing in on her. Looking around in alarm Elsa realized that there was not one but _many_ walls, moving forward to surround her until she found herself trapped.

 _Mother!_

The desperate cry filled both her head and her ears as Beskytter screamed her outrage at the sight of her creator being herded like livestock. However, the dragon was abruptly silenced when a thick chain was thrown around her snout, shutting it with an audible snap before being yanked to the ground. In an instant, three more chains found their way across the beast's back, firmly pinning her in place.

Beginning to panic, Elsa spun around in frantic circles trying to find a break in the wall, but to no avail. Suddenly, two portions of the wall slide aside and her heart leapt, but that joy quickly turned to cold dread when someone strode through the opening.

The hulking figure was covered head to foot in gleaming armor that reflected what little light remained, and behind the visor of his helm sat two burning green eyes.

"You," Elsa growled under her breath, the marks under her jaw beginning to glow faintly.

The figure made a low grunting noise before lifting his helmet to grin maliciously at her. "Hello, Elsa," Hans said sweetly. "How does it feel to know you've lost?"

The winter fairy didn't respond she simply glared at the king with such unbridled hatred that it almost carried a physical weight. Nostrils flared and hands balled into tight fists Elsa waited for Hans to get on with whatever twisted punishment he had in store for her.

"You were never meant for this game, unnatural thing that you are. How could you ever hope to beat me?"

"Where is Anna?" Elsa demanded, ignoring his question and her face set in an animalistic snarl.

He blinked at her in surprise for a few moment before he threw his head back and laughed. "Anna? Why do you care? Want to make sure your curse did its damage do you?" Hans barked as he began to unwind what looked to be a metal whip from his belt. "I have waited so long for my revenge… and I can't wait to see the light leave your eyes."

"I brought," she swallowed and gestured her head in Kristoff's direction, "a boy…"

"A what?" Hans stopped and gave her an amused look.

"A boy. She met a boy. Maybe… maybe he can save her."

The king stared at the winter fairy, an unreadable expression on his face. "You want… _you_ want to _save_ her? Don't tell me you've actually grown to care for the girl?"

Elsa didn't answer other than lowering her gaze.

He burst into an almost manic laughter so suddenly that Elsa jumped. "Christ, Elsa you're even more of a fool than I thought!"

"It doesn't matter, this isn't about me!" Elsa shouted. "You have to get the boy to Anna, he can save her, Hans… please."

"It's too late, she cannot be saved."

In one swift movement, Hans threw the whip in her direction. The chain hit her hard in the chest, shoving the fairy into the iron directly behind her so that her head bounced off the metal with a loud clang, causing her vision to blur. The force of the blow was enough to shatter the clasp of her cloak so that the pelt fell to the and Elsa slid down along with it. From her hands and knees the woman felt a surge of terror arc across the connection she shared with Beskytter and she didn't have to look up to know her creation was struggling viciously under her bonds.

Tasting something metallic, Elsa wiped at her mouth, and when she looked down at her sleeve she was dismayed to find a streak of blood. The screech of metal against stone made her raise her head to see Hans pull back his weapon and she braced herself for a second blow.

Anna had no idea what she had been expecting when she'd started following the sound of angry shouts and the telltale clang of weapons, but it certainly wasn't the scene she found as the princess stumbled onto the alcove above the castle's throne room. Gripping onto a pillar for support and ignoring the frost that bloomed under her touch, Anna took in the chaos below her. In one corner of the room, held down and thrashing wildly, was what appeared to be a dragon made of glass with razor sharp shards of ice streaking the floor and walls around it. Soldiers stood on both sides of the beast, stabbing it relentlessly and holding tight to the many chains that criss-crossed its massive back.

Behind the dragon Anna could barely make out a lone figure that seemed to be floating in mid air. Upon further inspection the girl discovered that she recognized him as the adorably awkward boy she'd met at the stream near aunts' cottage. The hope her father had extinguished now flared back to life, if Kristoff was here maybe he could help her, maybe her father was wrong. They'd only met once but he' left her in a blushing stuttering mess when he left her. Her thoughts were interrupted when Anna caught sight of movement on the other side of the room that held her attention fast.

About twenty or so men stood braced behind tall metal plates, holding them as if to shield themselves from an attack and thumping them loudly against the floor in a steady beat. The men and their shields had moved to form a ring, and in the center of that ring were two figures - one, was on all fours, bloody and breathing heavily, while the other strutted proudly along the edges of the circle, both arms raised in the air with what looked like a rope dangling from his hand.

When Anna spotted pointed ears and the thick fur cloak she felt her world tip sharply to one side and for a handful of moments forgot the ice spreading rapidly through her body.

"Godmother?"

Pushing past the pain and the stiffness in her limbs Anna ran down the stairs and towards what she knew would, ultimately, be her death. In what felt like slow motion Anna saw, who she now realized was her father swing the 'rope' through the air and catch her godmother so that the fairy was thrown violently to the side, forcing the men to move out of the way, so that she landed with a loud thud on the steps of the dais.

The sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath gave Anna the drive to make one _final_ push.

Elsa struggled to rise, pushing up from the ground on trembling arms and coughing wetly as her mouth filled with more blood. The fairy gasped when pain flared so suddenly in her side that it momentarily took her breath away. When the pain had lessened enough for Elsa so regain the use of her other sense she heard the scrape of steel and felt a shadow fall over her. Lacking the strength to raise her head Elsa watched Hans' feet slowly make their way to stand right in front of her.

"Goodbye, witch."

Elsa closed her eyes and braced herself for his sword to undoubtedly cleave her head from her shoulders, but the strike never came. Instead, Elsa heard a panicked cry of 'no!' followed by the crackling, snapping sound of something rapidly freezing, and a wave of powerful magic firing past her.

 _NO!_

Beskytter's anguish slammed into her with all the force of a horse's kick.

Elsa immediately knew who the cry had come from and in a surge of terror, whipped her head up to find a sight that made bile rise in her throat. Anna, turned to solid ice, one arm thrown above her head to shield Elsa from Hans' blade.

"ANNA!"

Ignoring her body's protests Elsa ran to stand in front of this nightmare, hands shooting to her mouth in an expression of overwhelming horror. Choking past a sob, Elsa stepped forward and cupped the dead girl's cheeks.

"No… no… please, no," the fairy whimpered.

Kristoff groaned in pain as he slowly regained consciousness, his head was throbbing like crazy, which meant he must have hit it hard on something (he had a pretty thick skull). "Wha… where am I?" Looking around Kristoff was shocked to find he was standing in what might have, at one point, been a livable room. Unconscious soldiers lay strewn about the floor - some lying under heavy looking shields - and directly in front of him lay a huge winged beast wrestling weakly to free itself from the many chains that ensnared it, each one steaming slightly. The huntsman frozen when he noticed the battered woman and the ice sculpture she was staring at… no, not a sculpture.

"Anna?" Kristoff said softly, taking a step forward.

Elsa didn't hear him, for if she had, the fairy would have dragged the boy to Anna and begged him to undo the curse. But right now the only thing she could focus on was the woman before her, suspended in her final act, her face permanently set in an expression of fear. A tidal wave of anguish and shame knocked the air from Elsa's lungs as the reality of what she'd down sunk in. Anna was gone, the last remaining light in Elsa's broken existence, her only reason to keep living, was gone… and it was because of her.

Stroking the princess' cheek Elsa felt the unbidden tears begin to pour down her face and a small sob bubbled past her lips. "I… I will not ask for your forgiveness because what I have done is unforgivable." She swallowed "I was… so lost in hatred and revenge. My sweet Anna, you stole what was left of my frozen heart and now I have lost you forever." Still cradling the girl's face and leaning forward, Elsa rested her forehead against Anna's, letting her eyelids slid shut. "I swear I will bring you back to the Wood and watch over you for as long as I live. And not a day shall pass that I don't miss your smile."

It suddenly became too much and Elsa's legs finally fell out from under her so that she hung limply against Anna's still form, arms wrapped tight around her neck. Shattered and defeated, Elsa remained there weeping, completely consumed by her grief.

When Elsa felt her body shift a little she just assumed that her arms hadn't been able to support her weight any longer and she had begun to sink to the floor, but something caught her by the elbows. It was then Elsa suddenly realized that she was no longer clinging to something rigid and smooth, but instead soft and… warm.

"Hello, godmother."

The sound of that soft voice made Elsa's breath catch and she snapped her head up so fast that two of her vertebrae popped. Blinking down at her with a small smile on her lips, was a thawed and very much _alive_ , Anna.

"Anna!" the winter fairy cried, jumping up and yanking the girl into a bone-crushing embrace. Anna returned the hug with equal enthusiasm throwing her arms around her godmother's middle and burying her face into the space between her neck and her shoulders. The girl gripped the back of the fairy's dress with an almost violent need and had no intention of letting go as happy tears began to fall. Anna didn't know how but she had made it back from that dark place where time didn't exist, and even better, had woken up in the arms of her godmother.

She was finally forced to let go when Elsa pulled back, but before she could complain about the loss of contact Elsa took the girl's face in her hands again and began to pepper kisses all over it.

"Oh, Anna. My amazing, wonderful, brave, brave, Anna." Elsa said between kisses. "You're okay now, I've got you, and I'm never letting you go." When the woman was done she simply gazed down lovingly at the giggling princess. "Why did you do that, Anna? Why did you sacrifice yourself… for me?" She asked, her voice still a little hoarse from crying.

Anna's smile was so brilliant that it lit up the entire and she gave a little shrug. "I love you," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Something akin to a half-laugh, half-sob escaped the winter fairy. Her heart was so full of joy and love, Elsa thought she might burst with how much she felt.

 _Mo… mother…_

Elsa was ashamed to admit that she had completely forgotten about Beskytter until her creation's weak voice invaded her mind, but she did not miss the change in title.

"Oh, Beskytter," Elsa said. "Hang on, my friend." Trying not to let it show how much the action to casting magic drained her, Elsa returned Beskytter to her normal form so that the cat could slip free of her restraints, as well as healing all of the deep gouges those same restraints had given her. Once free, the snow leopard joined the pair, pressing up against the legs of the two women in a show of affection and support.

When Elsa turned her attention to Anna, the girl's face had turned serious. "Godmother?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about what I said before," the princess said looking down at her feet. "I didn't really mean it, I was just upset. I don't think you are ev-"

Elsa pressed an icy finger to the girl's lips and shushed her. "It's okay, Anna, you don't have to apologize. It is me the needs to apologize to you. I should have never put that…" she swallowed past the lump in her throat, "curse on you. It wasn't fair of me… using you for revenge." Elsa could tell by the look on Anna's face she was bursting with questions. "I will explain everything later."

Smiling again, Anna nodded her head before taking one of Elsa's hands in her own. "Can we go back to the Enchanted Wood now?" she asked.

The winter fairy returned her smile. "If that is what you wish," Elsa said before suddenly doubling over and dissolving into a fit of coughing that left her hand speckled with dark red spots.

"Godmother!" Anna exclaimed in panic, now fully and horrifyingly, aware of how injured Elsa actually was. There were singed holes in her clothing all over her arms, shoulders, back where Anna could see burned flesh shining underneath. A dark bruise had begun to form on the fairy's forehead, disappearing under her extremely disheveled hair where a gash lay open and bleeding. Anna spotted a second laceration on the woman's but she was relieved to see that it looked as if Elsa had already closed it.

"You're hurt!" Angry and frightened tears welled in her eyes, her 'father' had done this.

The princess reached out to Elsa who was still bent over and gasping, a hand pressed firmly against her side, but she shook her head.

"Wait," Elsa said, face twisted in pain.

Anna watched as a blue light flared under the winter fairy's palm before being absorbed into her body. She heard a small 'pop' and Elsa straightened.

"There…" she coughed again, "... all better."

"No, you're not," Anna said rolling her eyes and sliding under one of Elsa's arms to help support her weight. "We need to get you out of here."

"Umm, Anna?"

Both women jumped at the sound of the huntsman's voice. Immediately, Elsa conjured three very large, very sharp, spines of ice and aimed them at his chest.

The boy's eyes doubled in size at the sight of the ice, and the huge cat that snarled ferociously at him from behind it.

"Kristoff!" Anna beamed.

Raising his hands to show he meant no harm the boy took a step back. "I- uh- didn't mean to scare you… can I help?"

Slowly, Elsa let the spines dissolve away and allowed the huntsman to approach them, though she still eyed him mistrustfully.

He in turn, observed the winter fairy with a look of deep concern. "She needs to see a physician," Kristoff said, taking in her injuries.

Elsa curled her lip. "I don't need to see any _human_ healers, their medicine does not work on fae. I just need to get back to the Wood and away from all this iron."

Anna nodded in agreement and was about to tell Elsa to let Kristoff carry her - although she'd probably have an easier time convincing Beskytter to sing - when a loud groan caught her attention.

In perfect synchronization the trio turned towards the sound while at the same time king Hans rose to his feet. Quickly shaking his head, the man froze when he caught sight of them, his expression turned to that of intense disgust. "Anna!" he bellowed taking a few steps forward, causing Beskytter to hiss at him in warning and Elsa to tighten her grip on the princess. "Get away from that monster!"

"She's not a monster!" Anna spat back at him, "She is my godmother and I won't let you hurt her anymore!" Looking up at the fairy, Anna saw that Elsa had tears in her eyes and was gazing down at the girl with immeasurable affection, a smile on her lips.

Hans stared at the girl in complete shock, convinced her had misheard. But when he watched Elsa place a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead the man felt all his doubt melt away… and he saw red.

"This was your plan all along wasn't it, you frozen bitch! You've corrupted her with your vile magic and turned her against me!" he howled before turning back to Anna. "Come with me, girl, and we will find someone to fix you," he said beckoning her to him.

Anna lifted her chin in defiance and glared back at the man who she'd thought was her father. "No," she said firmly. "I am staying with Elsa."

Hans' face twisted into something equal parts disgust and fury, and something inside him finally snapped. "Then I will just have to kill _both_ of you," he growled. "Shoot them!"

Unbeknownst to the two women, some of Hans' men had regained the use of their faculties… and their crossbows. The sharp click of a pulled trigger pierced the air as one of the men let their arrow fly, followed by the sound of it connecting with something solid. Elsa screamed.

The silence that followed was so absolute that Anna could hear the blood pumping through her veins as she stared in rigid horror at the arrowhead - shaft caught by a wall of ice - pointed at the center of her forehead. The next thing she knew, Anna was being simultaneously pushed and pulled and pulled away from the bolt by two sets of hands.

"Get her away from here," Elsa said, her voice low and dangerous as she locked eyes with Kristoff.

The huntsman saw the desperate plea as well as the threat that shone up from those icy depths and nodded. Kristoff picked up a soldier's fallen sword and, grabbing Anna's hand, ran up the same stairs she had descended what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Wait no, godmother! Kristoff stop! We can't leave her there, she might die! No, ELSA!" The girl's cries continued to echo down the hall even after she'd been dragged around the corner.

Elsa turned to face Hans and the three other men flanking him, each with their weapons pointed at her chest. "That… was a mistake."

The already freezing temperature of the room plunged to an almost unbearable degree and any remaining torches were quickly extinguished. The marks under Elsa's jaw were now glowing a sharp white and her eyes burned so bright that they could almost be mistaken for doing the same. A cloud of supercooled air curled around and in between her fingers as thick ice crystals crawled out along the floor from beneath her skirts like crystalline ivy. The men stepped back in alarm as the floor turned slick under them and their armor grew heavy with frost.

"What are you waiting for you idiots!" Hans roared, fear clouding the green of his eyes. "Shoot her!"

One of the men brought his weapon up and took aim, but before he could so much as blink something collided with his shoulder and sank its teeth deep into his throat. The man's scream quickly turned into a gurgle as he clawed at Beskytter's face but was silenced with a loud snap when the cat quickly jerked her head to the side.

Gore staining her muzzle, Beskytter watched her creator fire handfuls of ice at the two remaining soldiers, forcing them to jump and roll away in order to avoid being impaled by the ice. When a lone figure began to slowly inch its way to a discarded spear, the cat silently stalked towards it.

The room turned into a maze of death as each thrust of the winter fairy's magic woke icy stalagmites, rising up to drive the men away. Elsa stood in the center of it all, crouched low in a defensive stance, one hand thrown up and pointed at the soldier in front of her, the other held out to side where the other man stood. Elsa heard the man on her left shift and instinctively threw out her hand so that long spines of ice shot out of the floor pinning him to the wall, one resting only a few inches from his exposed throat.

Elsa locked her gaze onto her last remaining assailant, tracking his movements like a predator eyeing its prey. The man no longer looked as confident now that both his comrades were incapacitated, one of which he'd watched get his throat torn out. Taking advantage of the man's hesitation Elsa commanded her ice to rise up and form a wall before him, and pushing her hand forward, asked it to move backwards until the man was herded out of the room. To his credit, Hans' soldier did not leave without a fight. Elsa could see the corded muscles in his neck and jaw straining as he pushed back against the advancing wall. An abrupt shout pulled the winter fairy's attention away from the soldier pounding on the barrier that blocked him from returning to the fight and her vision narrowed.

Hans stood on the steps of the dias, looking frantic as he repeatedly thrust a spear forward to fend off a snarling Beskytter who swatted at the weapon with her huge paws, claws unsheathed.

"Enough, Beskytter!" Elsa called, her voice reverberating off the walls of the cavernous room so that it seemed as though there were multiple speakers. Both snow leopard and man turned to look at the fairy as one. "Thank you, my friend but this is between him and I. Leave us and go attend to Anna."

The large cat hesitated at first, tail swishing back and forth in agitation, clearly uneasy about leaving her creator alone with the head-sick human. In the end, Beskytter conceded with a barely perceptible nod of her head and trotted off in the same direction Anna and the huntsman had escaped, but not before aiming one last threatening hiss at the king.

Elsa slowly moved forward, silent as the wings of a snowy owl, her piercing gaze never leaving the king for a second. Hans blanched and raised his weapon only to have it knocked from his grip by a blast of her magic. And suddenly she was there, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground in a surge of inhuman strength.

"Was it worth it, Hans," Elsa hissed allowing frost to spill from her fingertips and crawl up the man's jaw. "Mutilating me for a crown." She tightened her hold on his neck to emphasize her point so that he choked, and the redness of his complexion darkened. "Did you think I would cower from you like some beaten dog, did you think I would just let you steal from me!" Hans' eyes were bulging in his now purple face as he struggled to gulp air into his lungs around her vice-like grip, all the while pulling on the ice of Elsa's wrist in a desperate attempt to make her let go.

"We were friends!" Elsa screamed throwing him forward so that his back collided with a nearby spine of ice.

The man slumped forward onto his hands and knees as he coughed and sputtered, frost crumbling from his cheeks with each wheezing breath. Immediately, he yanked off his chest plate and mail so that he could more easily breathe without their added weight.

Elsa followed, quills of ice rising up along her shoulders and upper back. "You used to call me 'sister,' and you betrayed me!" she howled, tears streaking down her face as she bled out all the pain and anger that had been festering inside her for 18 years.

Hans shakily raised his head to meet her furious glare. "You were never anything more than a pawn, witch." the man snarled before pulling a hidden dagger from his boot and charging forward, the curved blade held high. He'd only made it a few steps before he lost his footing on the slick ice that coated the floor and pitched forward. Elsa instinctively jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding being knocked to the ground by a flailing Hans.

When the fairy spun around, expecting to have to fend off another attack, she was surprised to see that Hans still lay face down on the frozen flagstone. His body convulsed once before going still and when she spotted the thick pool of blood oozing out from underneath him Elsa didn't have to roll the man over to know that she'd find his own dagger buried deep in his chest.

Elsa sighed gustily and stepped back. She'd thought that Hans' death would make her feel differently than it did now. The winter fairy once believed that she'd feel satisfied, whole again, free. But she felt none of these things, she just felt…. tired, so tired. And when the darkness took her, she welcomed it.

"... godmother?"

It felt as though she were climbing out of a hole, so dark and so deep that it seemed she might never make it back to the surface. She fought hard against the crushing weight that pushed her consciousness ever downward and clung the one thing that made sense in this timeless void; t _hat voice_.

"Godmother, can you hear me?"

Elsa's eyes fluttered open and she stared up unseeing for a few moments until her vision finally adjusted to the assaulting light and focused on the face above her.

"Anna?" Elsa rasped and immediately regretted speaking. Her throat felt as though it were packed with broken glass and her tongue ached horribly, so that she had to close her eyes and swallow a few times to collect herself.

"Don't speak." Anna said gently and Elsa felt the girl brush her bangs away from her face. "I'm here."

Elsa furrowed her brow as she struggled to clear her mind, but each time she tried to settle on something it would slip away like smoke.

"You're okay now, Hans can't hurt you anymore."

And then everything snapped into place and Elsa sat up with a gasp, images and sounds flashing in her mind like the flickering of a candle flame. A wall of iron, Beskytter's scream, Anna's frozen body, an arrow caught in ice, Hans' face twisted in rage as he charged her, the flash of a dagger, and blood… so much blood.

A pair of strong hands caught her when a wave of dizziness caused the winter fairy to fall, but instead of lying her back down the hands eased her back so that she was leaning against something soft.

"Godmother, stop! It's okay, you're back in the Wood. You're safe." Anna said firmly, taking the wild-eyed woman's face in her hands so that she focused on the redhead. Slowly, her panicked breathing calmed and the shards of ice that had sprung up around her melted away.

The feel of Anna's palms on her cheeks became Elsa's anchor as she rode out the surge of adrenaline that left her heart pounding and body trembling. With shocking clarity Elsa realized this was the first time she'd felt Anna's touch on her bare skin and the knowledge brought tears to her eyes. However, her joy at the novel sensation was overshadowed by the reminder she could never return the gesture, never feel the warmth of Anna's face under her fingers - yet another thing Hans had robbed her of.

"Here, drink this," Anna said releasing Elsa's face to bring a waterskin to the fairy's lips.

It was then that Elsa became aware of just how thirsty she was and drank greedily, almost moaning as the cool liquid soothed her raw throat. Once she had drank her fill, the winter fairy was able to focus on where Anna had brought her. She was lying in a clearing on a bed of moss and what appeared to be a stolen quilt from Hans' castle. Looking up, she found the swaying limbs of the old oak tree she had at one time called home when her parents had still been alive. For a moment Elsa wondered why Anna hadn't simply returned her to the ice palace, but quickly remembered that only _her_ magic could command the doors to open.

Sighing as a warm breeze washed over her face the winter fairy lay back and took stock of her injuries. Most of the flesh on her back and shoulders felt tight where her burns had blistered, however she was surprised to find they were all coated with some sort of cooling salve. As her forehead wrinkled in confusion a sharp pain flared near her right temple. She raised her hand to inspect the injury, but instead of feeling an open wound, Elsa felt the rough texture of a bandage under her fingers.

Elsa looked back at Anna. "How?"

Anna smiled and glanced at something behind the winter fairy. "Kristoff helped me take care of you when you were... resting," she said looking shy, as if she were worried her godmother wouldn't approve.

Slowly, as to not provoke any more dizzy spells, Elsa turned her head to find a nervous Kristoff standing a few feet away, clearly wanting to give the two woman space.

 _He has been a good healer, mother._

Elsa felt herself relax a little when she recognized her creation's low voice and was pleased to see the cat lying at her back, providing the support Elsa needed to stay upright. Without a word Elsa tilted her head forward so that Beskytter could press her forehead against her own, purring softly. _I am happy you are okay, my friend_ , she replied, stroking the big cat's muzzle.

Sitting up, Elsa inspected the salve covering one of the iron-burns on her arm and frowned in obvious displeasure. "This is fae magic." Elsa threw Kristoff a suspicious look. "Where did you get this?"

The huntsman shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was raised by a tribe of Rock Trolls as a boy. They taught me how to make it."

Elsa regarded the huntsman with new consideration. "I've never heard of fae adopting a human child before," Elsa said recognizing the irony of her words. The fairy had, in a way, brought up Anna on her own and now saw her as family.

"Kristoff could you give us some time alone, I need to return something to my godmother," Anna said softly. Kristoff nodded in understanding and looked immensely relieved to escape the awkwardness that had settled around them.

Elsa cocked her head to the side in the adorable way she often did when something piqued her curiosity. "Return what to me?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

Anna's expression was caught somewhere between nervousness and excitement. When the girl pulled something out from the burlap sack at her side Elsa felt her magic come alive, humming under her skin like a swarm of bees. The fairy took one look at the frost encrusted cloth and she went stiff.

Oh so slowly Anna peeled away the fabric, watching her godmother closely as she did so. The winter fairy had all but stopped breathing when the last fold had fallen away.

Elsa's mind had gone blank, she simply could not process what she was seeing. Time seemed to stand still as the woman stared down in complete and mind numbing disbelief. There, sitting limply in Anna's grasp were two perfectly preserved hands.

"I found them when Kristoff pulled me away from you. We were hiding in this really creepy room and… we… we noticed this glass box…" Anna trailed off when the marks on her godmother's neck started glowing as they did whenever she was upset.

"Figures he would keep them as a trophy. He always did like to brag about his… conquests," Elsa growled, her tone tinged with disgust.

"Do you think you could…" Anna unfinished question hung in the air like the wet heat of a summer storm.

"I don't know, even I " Elsa said, her voice small and her eyes hopeful. She looked up and locked eyes with Anna and the girl saw the unshed tears shining in them. "I'm afraid."

Anna reached up to tuck a stray bit of hair behind the fairy's ear and Elsa leaned into her touch. "I know, I'll be right here with you… no matter what you decide."

 _As am I_. Beskytter hummed.

Elsa closed her eyes and breathed heavily through her nose a few times to steady herself. Swallowing thickly, Elsa allowed the ice the made up her left hand to flow back into the air and held out her wrist to Anna. Unable to open her eyes for fear of what she might see the winter fairy felt Anna's hand slide up her arm and guide it forward.

Elsa's eyes flew open and she gasped in both pain and shock as her magic lept up her arm like a lightning strike, making all the hair on her forearm stand on end. She watched in fascination as the flesh that sealed the end of her wrist split open down to the bone, where her ice waited to spring forward. Thousands of tiny fractals raced outward to encase the hand Anna had pressed to the exposed stump and Elsa could feel all the bones, ligaments, and blood vessels in her wrist _and hand_ tearing and reforming. Despite the searing pain that this 'healing' process produced, Elsa could feel nothing but the unbridled joy that coursed through her.

When it was over, Elsa could only stare down at her reattached limb, turning it side-to-side and flexing and curling each of her fingers experimentally. After a few moments, Elsa looked up to find Anna smiling from ear to ear, almost glowing with same elation that threatened to make the winter fairy's heart burst.

Hesitantly, Elsa raised her flesh and blood hand and brushed the backs of her fingers against Anna's soft cheek. The fairy released a choked laugh and felt so light that she wondered how she didn't float away with the wind. For the first time in what felt like forever, Elsa was able to truly feel again, feel the warmth of Anna's face, the wetness of the girl's tears that she thumbed away, and the tickle of the fine hairs on her cheeks.

And in that moment the darkness that had once tainted Elsa's heart faded away so that all at once the oppressive cloud that had tailed her like a dog with its master for so long lifted. She was free.

Elsa gently pulled the princess forward so that their foreheads rested against each other and sighed happily. "Thank you, Anna… for everything."

~end~

 **Thank you to everyone who helped me bring this story together and keep me motivated with the writers block hit me hard. I am very proud of this project and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave me a review and tell me what you think ^_^**

 **time to get back to S &L**


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